Cooler temperatures and bluer skies brought people to the beach Thursday. Many people said they were happy to finally catch a break from the rain and humidity.
"We've been stuck in doors a lot. I figured we want to head to the beach because it's a nice day," said Stephanie Carli of Colchester.
But there was still one problem: the water quality.
Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection detected what's called Indicator Bacteria at Rocky Neck and Silver Sands State Park and closed them Thursday.
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"Indicator bacteria are not actually disease-causing pathogens or viruses or bacteria, they're actually a surrogate for things in the water that we wouldn't want people to be swimming in and around," said Paul Copleman, DEEP's media relations manager.
Copleman said it's from the unusual wet and rainy weather.
"Often times what we see is the result of a combination of this rainfall, this storm water runoff, and animal feces, often from waterfowl. I mean, just imagine anything that's sitting on an impermeable surface near the water gets washed into the water as a result of all that rain," he said.
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But dozens of people were in the water at Rocky Neck State Park. Some said they didn't see the signs or know about the bacteria level.
"We checked around to make sure the beach was safe, and we didn't see any notices that said no swimming, so we came out," said Gabe Cabrera of Rocky Hill.
But around noon, several signs went up around the park. A large sign at the beach entrance said, "No swimming in this area due to potentially high bacteria levels."
The Department of Public Health recommends following the CDC's guidance, which says pregnant women, children and people with underlying health problems should be vigilant as they are most at risk of water-related illnesses.
Many say they wish they were made more aware of the high bacteria level.
"Better communication and enforcement. I mean, if there's a problem, we shouldn't be in the water," said Nadine Cabrera of Rocky Hill.
Those who saw the warning signs modified their plans and turned around.
"I don't want to go swimming. Not in here. I'll probably find a different beach because I came to the beach to go swimming," said Cindy Denison of Meriden.
By late Thursday afternoon, it was safe to swim again at Rocky Neck State Park. Silver Sands remained closed.
DEEP says when they close a beach, they will do daily testing. They advise everyone to check online for updates before heading out.
